Transforming into Princess Rapunzel

It's Princess' birthday and there is something very rewarding about watching a 3 year old open up a present.  It is so much more magical and exciting.

My favourite parts are when Mummy Carter breaks the sticker and the joy on Princess' face as she scrambles off the paper to reveal Rapunzel.

Priceless.

P.S. Isn't she super cute in this Rapuzel outfit?  I think the long blonde wig makes her look like a giant doll.

Girls Weekend

Cardiff.  It's the annual Girls Weekend.

It's going to be fun.  It's going to be messy.

The memories for sure are going to be hazy.  There will be random characters and random conversations.

Oh how I love a Girls Weekend.

Glee Club: Rock Choir

Work has a sort of Glee Club known as the Rock Choir; a club where everyone gathers together and sings.  This club has around 500 members, which is pretty impressive.

A friend has tried to persuade me to go, but I'm tone deaf when it comes to that sort of a thing.

As part of the club they do performances, mainly to raise money for charity.  My friend Amy Love was performing tonight at the ICC in Birmingham; an impressive venue in its own right.

It was a very proud moment when she came out.  I was sat in the Upper Tier with her boyfriend as support.  You can sort of see her to the right, somewhere in the distance.  Look out for the glowing red locks.

Puppy Love

Ally is breeding Labradoodle puppies.  They're gorgeous.  Even I want one and I'm not a dog lover.  But they are so small and cuddly that it is hard to resist.

I've particularly taken a liking to the chocolate brown one.  There's something quite endearing about how sleepy he is after his dinner.

I'm here with my God Kids and I'm amazed that Princess hasn't asked to keep one.  I'm really having to bite my tongue and not ask her if she wants one.

Somehow I don't think her parents would be impressed if I seed that idea in her mind.  But I think she has associated the puppies with Aunty Ally's house and not thought of taking one home.  So I think they are safe this time.

P.S. aren't these kids as cute as a button?

Wireless Festival

The sun was shining, there were only a few clouds in the sky and there was music in the air.  Wireless Festival was in town.

The day started off with a bit of 'Salt & Pepper'.  Old Skool.  And yet I still knew all the words to some of their key tunes.  It's amazing how it stays with you and brings back memories.

There were lots of great acts.  Robin Thick, Sean Paul, Clean Bandit.  They were all awesome.

And last but not least, the headlining act, little Bruno Mars was amazing.  Just the way he is.

Escaping to Alton Towers

As a child I went to Alton Towers every year.  It was a summer tradition, organised by school before we broke up for the summer holiday.

As an adult, I try to keep the tradition, although it is not always possible.  This year it was a last minute outing and we lucked out with the weather for the majority of the day...

It only started to hail towards the end.  Hail and the loops of the Nemesis make an extremely painful ride.

Punch Drunk: The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable

I'm in a rickety old lift.  Crammed in with 30 others.  Plus a lady dressed in 60's glamour, giving us the down-low on who's who.

The lift doors open up to a pitch black room.  I slowly make my way down a corridor and before you know it, I'm transported to LA in the 1960's...

Actually it is the set of the theatre production; The Drowned Man, at Temple Studios.  4 floors of sets with different actors and actresses wandering around in character.

And 'we' as the audience were immersed into the thick of it.  Our faces covered by white masks, making it easy to identify who were the audience and who were the cast.

It was a little bit eerie to begin with.  The sets were quiet if none of the cast were around and you had to go in search of the action.  It took a few minutes to get into the rhythm of it and figure out who was best to follow.

Due to the individual journeys the 4 of us in our group took throughout the 3 hour theatre production, we each got a different angle on the fatal love triangle and story that we saw.

Between us, we managed to piece the story together and get an understanding of what it was all about.  Although I'm sure there were many scenes and parts of the story that we all had missed.

But overall it was a great theatre experience.  Something you were a part of, rather than just a spectator.